Pakistan vows peace support ahead of quadrilateral meeting on Iran

Pakistan on Saturday vowed continued support for efforts to restore regional peace and stability, ahead of a two-day quadrilateral foreign ministers' meeting scheduled to commence on Sunday in the Pakistani capital with Türkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

During a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi late Saturday, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable path to lasting peace.

Dar called for an end to all attacks and hostilities and reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to peaceful engagement.

In a social media post on Saturday, Dar announced that Tehran has agreed to allow 20 additional Pakistani-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway widely deemed effectively blocked, with two vessels scheduled to transit daily.

He called it "a welcome and constructive gesture by Iran" and said it "deserves appreciation." "It is a harbinger of peace and will help usher stability in the region," he wrote.

In the same post, he said, "Dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward," tagging US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Araghchi.

The developments come amid ongoing tensions following large-scale military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, with Iran retaliating against targets in Israel and US military bases in the Middle East.

The surprise attack followed barely two days after the third round of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran mediated by Oman, mirroring that of last June, when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran during Washington-Tehran negotiations, triggering the "12-day war" that saw the US bomb Iran's critical nuclear facilities.

Iranian officials have since repeatedly accused the US side of bad faith in the negotiation process.

Dar on Thursday revealed that indirect negotiations between the US and Iran were being conducted through messages via Pakistan, with support from Türkiye, Egypt, and other countries.

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